Car-unloader.



1 To."766,108. PATENTED JULY 26, 1904. F. W. LOVELL.

CAR UNLOADER.

APPLIOATION FILED D110. 21. 1903.

N0 MODEL.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

5r M w. K a 2 352 #9145 No. 766,108. PATENTED JULY 26, 1904. .F. W.LOVELL.

OAR UNLOADER.

APPLIOATION FILED DBO. 21. 190;.

N0 MODEL. Z SHEETS-SHEET Z.

UNITED STATES Patented July 26, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK W'. LOVELL, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN FIOMYLER, OFCLEVELAND, OHIO.

CAR-UNLOADER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No, '7 66,108, dated July26, 1904.

Application filed December 21, 1903. Serial No. 185,946- (No model.)

To all whmn it nmq concern..-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK IV. LovnLL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State ofOhio, have invent-ed a certain new and useful Improvement inCar-Unlqaders, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention is an improvement upon that kind of car-unloaders whichemploy a cradle on which the loaded car is run, which cradle, with thecar upon it, is lifted and turned over, thereby dumping the contents ofthe car into a convenient chute. Such cradles include, essentially, ahorizontal platform, on which is laid the tracks on which the car isrun, and a substantially vertical front side extending the entire lengthof the cradle, the front side being that which is held down as thecradle turns over. which this side is provided is to catch that part ofthe load which falls from the car when the cradle is being turned over.hen the cradle has been tipped sufficiently, the part of the load whichhas fallen into the cradle slides down this side into the chute, saidside being then, in effect, part of the chute. Heretofore a considerablequantity of the coal which falls from the car into the cradle as thelatter is being tipped over has fallen off the ends of the cradle, whichends must be unobstructed as the car enters and leaves the cradle. Thesefalling bodies, which usually are pieces of coal, are dangerous topersons standing near the device, and, moreover, this action deposits aconsiderable part of the load at a point where it is not wanted.

The object of the present invention is to prevent the coal or othermaterial which falls from the car into the cradle from falling out ofthe end of the cradle.

The invention consists in a pair of doors hinged on a vertical axis tothe ends of the front side of the cradle, combined with means wherebywhen the cradle reaches its lowest position these doors areautomatically opened, but when the cradle begins its upward movement andbefore it begins to tip over the One purpose for doors closeautomatically, forming thereby sides or guards at the ends of thatvertical front side.

The invention also consists in the more specific combinations of partshereinafter described, and set forth definitely in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an end view of the cradle with a car in itand some of the operating mechanism and the adjacent cornerposts of thetower which supports the liftingcables and other parts of the apparatus.Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of one of the rear cornerposts, showingthe bracket secured thereto by which the guard-gates on the cradle areopened. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the parts which are shown in Fig. 1. Ithas not been thought necessary to show the means for lifting and turningthe cradle or for holding the car upon the tracks, such mechanism beingwell known in a great variety of specific forms and no part of thepresent invention.

Referring to the parts by letters, A represents the cradle, which isprovided with a horizontal platform (1, whereon the tracks M are laidfor the car P to run on, and a vertical front side a, rising from thefront edge of said horizontal platform and extending the entire lengththereof.

B represents the guard-doors, which are hinged to the ends of thisvertical front side and are substantially as high as said side and arewide enough to lap considerably past the adjacent end of the car. A pairof hingebrackets D D are secured to this vertical side a, and the otherhinge-brackets E are secured to the door and are likewise secured to thelong pintle C of the door-hinge. Rat-trap springs F surround this pintleand exert their force against the side a and the door in a directiontending to close the door-that is, to turn it so that it will stand atright angles to said side a. On the lower end of this pintle, whichprojects below the platform of the cradle, is a spiral groove 0 or rib,as preferred, the drawings showing the groove. Secured to the adjacentcorner-post G of the tower is a bracket-plate K, having a lug 7r,adapted to engage with this spiral on the hinged pintle. In the specificconstruction shown this lug enters the spiral groove.

When the cradle is lowered,.this spiral comes into engagement with saidlug, and as the cradle is still further lowered to its rest positionthis lug engaging with said spiral turns the pintle, and thereby opensthe door, so as to permit the car to pass from the cradle or onto thesame. The described construction is found at both ends of the cradle.

I claim 1. In a car-unloader, the combination of a tilting cradle havinga horizontal platform, on which are laid the tracks for the car to runon, and an upright front side extending from end to end thereof, withdoors hinged to the ends of said side, springs for closing said doors,and means, which operate when the cradle is nearing its lowest position,for opening said doors against the force of said springs, substantiallyas and for the purpose specified.

2. In a car-unloader, the combination of a tilting cradle having ahorizontal platform and a front side which extends from end to endthereof, with doors hinged to the ends of said front sides and securedto their hinge-pintles, which pintles extend downward below the eradle,spirals, and lugs for engaging therewith, one of said parts being fixed,and the other being formed upon the downwardly-projecting part of eachhinge-pintle, and springs for closing said doors, substantially as andfor the purpose specified.

3. The combination of a tilting cradle having a horizontal platform anda front side which extends from end to end thereof, with doors hinged tosaid front side, each of said doors being secured to the hinge-pintlewhich extends downward below the cradle and is provided on said downwardextension with a spiral, and fixed brackets engaging said spirals toopen the doors, and springs for closing said doors, substantially as andfor the purpose specified.

4;. In a car-unloader, the combination of a tilting cradle havingahorizontal platform and a front side rising from the front edge of theplatform and extending from end to end thereof, doors hinged to the endsof said front side and secured to the hinged pintles, each of whichpintles extends below the platform and is provided with a spiral groove,fixed brackets having lugs which enter said grooves, and springs forclosing said doors, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

FREDERICK W. LOVELL.

Witnesses:

E. L. TI-IURSTON, B. W. BROOKE'IT.

